Hot N Juicy Crawfish can stay in the Falls Church spot it’s called home for the last five years.
The dispute erupted when the landlord, FMR Development LLC, claimed that the restaurant (116 W. Broad Street) did not pay its rent for April within a required timeframe.
The landlord returned the restaurant’s checks in April and May, claiming that the restaurant was in violation of its lease, according to correspondence between the attorneys for the landlord and restaurant. In June, the landlord filed an eviction lawsuit, claiming the restaurant owed roughly $24,000 in rent and late fees for April and May.
Hot N Juicy’s attorneys told Washington City Paper, which first reported the eviction threat, that earlier in the pandemic, the landlord tried to force the restaurant to sign a lease amendment that would make it easier to remove the restaurant out. The newspaper also reported that the co-owner said he asked his landlord for a rent abatement or deferment in March.
Jeffrey Romanick, the landlord’s attorney, and Scott Rome, one of the restaurant’s attorneys, told Tysons Reporter this week that they reached an agreement out of court that allows the restaurant to stay in the space.
Unemployment Claims Dip — “New claims for unemployment benefits filed by Northern Virginia residents fell last week to their lowest level since pandemic-related business shutdowns began, even as thousands of area residents continue collecting unemployment, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday.” [Inside NoVa]
Capital One Fined for Data Breach — “Capital One Financial Corp (NYSE: COF) will pay an $80 million fine and enter into a consent order with its regulator, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, over issues related to a data breach in 2019 that exposed more than 106 million records of customers and credit card applicants.” [Washington Business Journal]
Two Activists Running for Falls Church Council Seat — “Two longtime City of Falls Church activists, Debbie Hiscott and Josh Shokoor, have been the only ones to announce so far they’ll be running for the now-open seat on the Falls Church City Council.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Construction of new Station 44, Scotts Run, continues to progress nicely! New station is being built as part of a development condition to meet growing needs for emergency services in Tysons area. Starting to look like a fire and rescue station! #FCFRD pic.twitter.com/lUJNwYaDjm
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) August 7, 2020
The Virginia sales tax holiday is Aug. 7 – 9, 2020. Here’s what’s eligible for school supplies, clothing and footwear:
✅Qualified school supplies – $20 or less per item
✅Qualified clothing and footwear – $100 or less per itemGet more info: https://t.co/TFZ0jQC4vl pic.twitter.com/2snEv42INg
— Virginia Tax (@VaTax) July 29, 2020
Photo by Michelle Goldchain
A local artist will teach people over Zoom how to turn cardboard toilet paper tubes into mini works of art.
The upcoming class is a part of the recent offerings from Falls Church Arts, a nonprofit arts organization based in Falls Church. The Zoom class will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. on Thursday (Aug. 6). It costs $30 and is open to teens and adults.
“They are just so adorable,” Ruth Altheim, who is a board member for Falls Church Arts, told Tysons Reporter about the toilet paper roll art. “It’s hard to communicate how much fun this is.”
Altheim noted that the upcoming workshop will focus on collage.
Altheim said she suggested the idea for the workshop, which will be taught by local artist Molly McCracken.
To participate, people will need either a toilet paper or paper towel cardboard core, scissors, glue, different types of paper and either crayons or markers.
A flyer for the class says that construction paper, wrapping paper, magazines, newsprint, colored paper or photographs will work. People who need paper can pick up a “basic supply” from the instructor for $5.
Photo courtesy Ruth Altheim
(Updated 3:10 p.m.) Island Fin Poké plans to bring Hawaiian-style poke bowls to Falls Church and Vienna.
The eatery is set to open in the fall at 7501 Leesburg Pike, Suite 129 in Idylwood Plaza. That location will be the first one in Virginia for the Florida-based fast-casual chain, according to a press release.
“We are excited to expand to Falls Church because of the amazing food scene,” Co-founder Mark Setterington said in a press release. “We believe that the local residents will appreciate our family-oriented culture and personal attention given to every guest.”
Sarah Richter, a spokesperson for Island Fin Poké, told Tysons Reporter that the owner of the Falls Church location has signed a deal to also open the Vienna location.
“Plans won’t be made for Vienna until the Falls Church unit is up and running, so Vienna will be much later down the line, maybe in a year or so,” Richter said.
When the Virginia locations open, diners can expect build-your-own bowls that can be customized with eight proteins, sauces and more than a dozen toppings.
The Idylwood Plaza location will be open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. every day, according to the chain’s website.
Founded in 2017, Island Fin Poké currently has eight locations across the U.S., from Nevada to Massachusetts. The chain opened an eatery in Bowie, Md. in January and is looking to grow in the D.C. area, the press release noted.
“Our Bowie location has been very successful and our expansion to Falls Church is just the beginning for the D.C. metro area,” Setterington said.
Island Fin Poké has 26 locations “in various stages of development across the country,” the press release says, noting that the chain is looking to rapidly expand by seeking franchisees.
Photo courtesy Island Fin Poké
Due to COVID-19 precautions, the annual Falls Church Festival and Farm Day events are canceled.
The City of Falls Church announced the change of plans today, saying that public health concerns prompted the decisions.
The 45th Falls Church Festival was originally set to offer live entertainment, amusement rides, food from local eateries and pony rides on Sept. 12. Last year’s event attracted roughly 12,000 visitors, according to the city’s website.
Meanwhile, the 27th annual Farm Day would have featured horsedrawn hay-rides, pumpkin painting, scarecrow making and other fall activities in October.
“We are committed to helping our resident, visitor, and business community stay safe,” Danny Schlitt, the city’s recreation and parks director, said. “We don’t see a way to safely hold large crowd events like the Falls Church Festival and Farm Day.”
The announcement said that the rest of the city’s events for 2020, including Sunset Cinema, Halloween Carnival and Holiday Craft Show, “will take place if a safe event format can be created.”
“We are looking into ways to create a safe Sunset Cinema, Halloween Carnival, and Holiday Craft Show,” Schlitt said. “We also want to build on the success of the wildly popular Springtime Bunny car parade and the Independence Day Scavenger Hunt — we are continuously looking for ways to bring fun and togetherness (if socially distant) to the community!”
People looking for virtual events can check out the Virtual Community Center newsletter.
The City of Falls Church unveiled a new permit to help businesses and nonprofits to use outdoor space for classes and events.
The city announced yesterday (Tuesday) that the Temporary Outdoor Commercial Activity Permit will tentatively be available until Oct. 1, with the possibility that the end date might get extended.
Eight areas in the city are available to rent, including the Cherry Hill Park Basketball Court, designated grass area at Cherry Hill Farmhouse/Park and Mr. Brown’s Park. Normally, Mr. Brown’s Park is the only city park that businesses and organizations can rent for commercial activity.
Rentals are $20 per hour, along with a $200 security deposit. Applications are accpeted on a first-come, first-serve basis, the city said, noting that the permit does not apply to outdoor dining or service related to food or alcohol.
When using the outdoor space, people must follow the governor’s orders to social distance, wear face coverings and disinfect areas.
“We recognize that a lot of city businesses and non-profits are looking for ways to create safe environments for their customers and supporters,” Danny Schlitt, the parks and recreation director, said in a press release. “If they feel that open air venues help them safely deliver a service or program, then we want to help by temporarily allowing the rental of our parks. We are all in this together!”
Photo by Bradley Brister/Unsplash
Falls Church Councilmember Dan Sze has died after a battle with esophageal cancer.
The announcement Tuesday night of Sze’s passing comes a week after Mayor David Tarter shared at a City Council meeting that Sze had cancer.
Sze was first elected to the City Council in 2006 after serving as the city’s vice chair of the Economic Development Authority from 2002-2006. Sze served as a councilmember from 2006-2010 and from 2014 until his death.
Sze served on a variety of local and regional boards and commissions, including as a member of the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals and the chair of Virginia Municipal League’s State Committee on Environmental Quality, according to a press release from the city.
The city will lower the city flag outside of City Hall to half-staff for a week to honor Sze and hold a moment of silence at the Aug. 10 meeting, according to the press release, which included tributes from his colleagues.
“The news of Dan’s passing has hit me hard,” Tarter said in the city’s press release. “He was a friend who cared deeply about the best interests of our city and its residents and tirelessly advocated for its betterment. He will be sorely missed. On behalf of the City Council, we mourn his passing and send his wife, Elisabeth and family our deepest condolences.”
The press release highlighted Sze’s work for stronger environmental efforts within and outside of the city. Serving the city, Sze encouraged the city to install LED streetlights and purchase renewable energy, while pushing developers to add green roofs and meet higher LEED standards.
The press release shared his efforts outside of City Hall:
Mr. Sze had an accomplished career that included federal government service. He was responsible for major policy and regulatory initiatives under six American presidents. At his last assignment, Mr. Sze was with the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as Deputy Director of State Energy Programs.
After leaving full-time employment, Mr. Sze regularly lectured on sustainability strategies, worked on clean energy initiatives, was involved with several international start-ups, and was a consultant to businesses, organizations, and government.
“His staff and Council colleagues will certainly miss his intelligence, his hearty greetings, and the jovial conversations they shared with Dan,” City Manager Wyatt Shields said. “He was a one-of-a-kind public servant, and we know his legacy will live on in the many projects he championed.”
Power outages are affecting roughly 1,500 Dominion Energy customers in the Falls Church area today.
The larger outage stretches from the Westwood Park to Williamsburg neighborhoods, according to Dominion Energy’s power outage map. The smaller one is between Shreve and Graham roads.
The causes of the outages have not been determined yet. Dominion Energy expects power to be restored between 6-9 p.m.
Map via Dominion Energy
The Mary Riley Styles Public Library in Falls Church is looking to move forward discussions about police reform in the community.
The City of Falls Church announced today that the library will host an online forum next Wednesday (Aug. 5).
The panelists for the event include the city’s police chief, the president of the Fairfax County NAACP and the city’s HR director. Jennifer Carroll, the library’s director, will moderate the event.
“Learn more about the national Mayor’s Pledge (which was signed by Mayor [David] Tarter in June); the City’s Use of Force Review Committee; the principles of 21st century policing; and what issues lie behind the ‘defund police’ movement,” according to the event description.
The event is set to start at 7 p.m. People can register for the Zoom event by emailing [email protected].
File photo
Kiln & Custard served up a sweet surprise for National Ice Cream Day.
On Sunday (July 19), the woman-owned custard and ice cream chain rolled out two monthly subscription options. The Kiln & Custard locations are inside the Kiln & Co. pottery stores in Vienna, Falls Church and Reston.
Customers can get either four pints of frozen custard with toppings and cones delivered one or two per month. The custard comes in the business’s signature glass jars, according to its website.
The custard does not contain any artificial coloring or flavorings, according to the website.
People with a sweet tooth interested in the subscriptions can contact Kiln & Custard at 703-255-7155 and [email protected].
Kiln & Custard also recently extended the hours for the Vienna and Falls Church locations. Now, they are open from noon-7 p.m. in Vienna and from 1-8 p.m. in Falls Church Wednesday-Saturday. The website says that the Reston location is closed for the season.
